MARINE DRIVE MANOR is a self-catering beach house situated on the beach front in the tranquil, seaside village of Vermont, a mere 10-minute drive from the popular coastal town of Hermanus.

In 1925 Vermont Seaside Township Ltd was established and the scheme was laid out on land acquired from the University of Stellenbosch.

The house is one of the few houses in Vermont dating to this period. It was built as a holiday house for Christman Joel Krige, second Speaker of the South African Parliament (1915 – 1925), in 1926.

In 1996 the house was converted into a guesthouse. It was during this period that changes were made to the house, including the enclosure of the stoep (porch) and the insertion of ensuite bathrooms.

From the early 1970s a number of well-known South African painters, poets and writers came to live in Onrus and Vermont, including Jan Rabie, Marjorie Wallace, Uys Krige, Elsa Joubert, Gregoire Boonzaaier, Chris Barnard (writer) and Cecil Higgs.

The house, situated meters from the Jan Rabie Tidal Pool, is arranged around a central hall and an enclosed veranda. It has four bedrooms, all ensuite and sleeps eight people. Three bedrooms have hotel style king size beds, and the fourth bedroom has twin beds. The kitchen is fully equipped with a stove, microwave, 2 x fridge/freezers, dishwasher, 25L air fryer and separate box freezer in the laundry. The laundry is fitted with a top loader washing machine and tumble dryer.

There are two dining tables in the large dining room with seating for 16 persons and a fireplace.

Separate from the main house is a cottage with two bedrooms and a bathroom, large living area and kitchenette with microwave and kettle. There is sleeping space for two more persons in the large living room with an additional two beds suitable for children.

To further indulge, this house sports a swimming pool and terrace area with a large table for outdoor dining and entertaining.

TO DO AND SEE

• Swim at the sandy Onrus beach with Lagoon swimming for children. About a 15-minute walk along the coastal pathway.
• Take a dip in the tidal pool across the road (Jan Rabie Tidal pool) or in the larger tidal pool at the caravan park, about a 5-minute walk.
• Take a walk along the cliff path or go hiking along mountain trails in Fernkloof nature reserve.
• Craft markets in Hermanus and Hemel en Aarde on Saturdays and Sundays
• Golf at Hermanus or Arabella
• Boat trips from the Hermanus harbour and whale watching in season.
• Shark cage diving at Gansbaai
• Visit wine estates in the Hemel en Aarde Valley and the Birkenhead Estate & Brewery near Stanford.

EXTRAS

WIFI & FULL DSTV PACKAGE